Child Care Assistance

The Idaho Child Care Program (ICCP) provides child care assistance to low-income, working families by paying for a portion of child care. This program is for parents who work, attend school, or participate in approved activities to help prevent children from being placed in foster care. The program pays for part of the child care costs for eligible households, and parents also pay for a portion (called a co-pay). The parent’s share is based on the size of the family and the amount of their income. The Department also licenses child care providers and is working with community partners on a professional development system to improve child care services in Idaho

APPLY FOR CHILD CARE ASSISTANCEYou may apply for child care assistance by visiting our Apply for Assistance page. Submit completed applications to your local Health and Welfare office. You may use the office-finder to assist you in finding your local office. You may also go directly to your local office and apply there. At the office you'll have an opportunity to talk with someone about your household situation and your needs so that you can make an informed choice about any services you want to receive. If you choose to go to your local office, be sure to go prepared with documentation that we use to verify your income, expenses, resources, etc. Taking these documents with you will speed up the time it takes us to process your application for assistance.

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTSIn order to receive assistance paying for child care, certain eligibility requirements must be met in areas such as residency, income, work/training activities, and other areas based on your household's circumstances.

AMOUNT OF CHILD CARE ASSISTANCEThe amount of child care assistance you get is based on a number of things like, your income, and the number of hours you spend working, in school, or participating in approved activities. The amount of assistance also varies by location in the State, and the type of provider your prefer for your children. Only a certain amount of the cost of child care can by covered by the Idaho Child Care Program. Most parents will have to pay for a portion of their child care costs - a co-pay as well as any amounts charged by the child care provider that exceeds the program limit.

MORE INFORMATIONIf you want more information about the Idaho Child Care Program, check out the Child Care Frequently Asked Questions. If you cannot find the information you're looking for, or you need information or forms in a different format than provided on our web site, please do not hesitate to contact us.